Experience of a Psychology degree in general and the OU.

[MollyMoo10]

I’m looking to do an Open University degree and would like some general advice from anyone having done a degree with the OU or a really a Psychology degree anywhere.

Just general advice you wish you had before going with the OU and/or doing a Psychology degree.

Did you find the degree itself hard going?
Was the workload with the OU hard to keep to or fairly easy?
Would you have been able to do the degree in 3 years fairly easily or is the 6 years more likely?
What did you go on to study after the degree? And was it easy-ish to find a job?

AIBU to expect to be able to complete the degree in 3 years doing slightly more than part time hours studying and AIBU to study with the OU or is there somewhere/something else I should be looking at?

for anyone with any advice

Thanks again for all of the replies!

I am still a bit unsure really as there seems to be a bit of a mix as to it being worthwhile or not.

Tbh any qualification I take I’m pretty sure I will want to do some more studying after, preferably alongside work experience. I think it would be ok money wise to continue education after a degree, time wise hopefully it would be ok too.

There are some courses that you can do for free with the OU,I think they are called 'open learn'or something similar.

Yes I did look at these and spoke to the OU advisor about them but they take a year and don’t give you any credits towards the degree so I sort of felt I might as well just start the degree and if after the first year I can’t hack it at least I have a Diploma.

I did my BSc Psychology with the OU. I was working full time and manage to complete it in 4 years. I have since gone on to do an MSc Psych at a red brick and am about to complete an MA in Psychotherapy at another red brick Uni.

I loved the OU.

Did a psych degree then went on to do the clinical psychology doctorate - now work as a clinical psychologist. Ten years of training and highly competitive area - not really worth the end salary (around £50k unless you work privately where you can earn a lot more). Undergrad was quite easy, postgrad much more difficult and you need further study to work as a psyc, whatever your chosen field. I do love it though!

OP I think that's the foundation course - here's a list of free courses that have time scales in hours

www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses/full-catalogue

I did a psychology degree around 20 years ago, at the time I did it as I wanted to work in the mental health field. As I went through the degree I just went off it, I finished it anyway and did well.

As others have said it's hard to get it to lead t0 something as it's fiercely competitive and not well paid initially. I converted it anyway to become a lawyer which is what I do now.

I think you need to have a really good look into the post grad avenues and what you can do once it's completed before you make a decision